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Chances are you've used a knife that doesn't seem to do what it was made to do: cut. When you start to cut, the knife slips on the food or twists in your hand so your cuts aren't straight. Sometimes, the knife doesn't even cut - it crushes the food instead. Obviously, the solution is to sharpen the knife, but what if the knife just isn't any good? Buying an expensive knife should guarantee good performance, right? I tested eleven different chef's knives with prices ranging from under $30 to over $200.

I recommend looking at the Equipment & Gear: Knife Parts article to get an idea of what to look for in general when selecting a knife. We'll also be using the terminology laid out in that article to identify knife parts.

What brands were tested?Each of the chef's knives tested was selected for a reason.

I started with Henckels and W&uuml;sthof - the two most popular "high-end" chef's knives available in the United States. These are the manufacturers that have been pushed as quality cutlery at most home kitchen supply stores. (The knives tested were the Henckels Pro-S and the Wusthof Classic. Both companies produce lower quality, budget lines that are inferior to their high-end knives. Heckels manufacturers, under the premium branding of Zwilling J.A. Henckels, the Pro-S, Four Star, Five Star, and Twin collections. W&uuml;sthof-Trident makes the Classic, Grand Prix series, Culinar, and Le Cordon Bleu lines as their premium knives.)

I then added the R.H. Forshner / Victorinox chef's knife as a relatively low cost entry. This knife was the Cook's Illustrated Editor's Choice in their knife testing (actually, it's from the same family - I wasn't able to figure out exactly which knife was tested by Cook's Illustrated without a model number).

The Global cook's knife was included because they are the most popular Japanese kitchen knives available to the average American consumer. In the last several years they have made a big impression with their stainless steel handles and imposing presence in stores like Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma, and, most recently, Bed Bath & Beyond.

The Kershaw Shun is another Japanese manufactured line that has practically leaped onto the stage. Described by Cook's Illustrated as the "Cadillac" of chef's knives and personally endorsed by Alton Brown, I had to include it in the roundup. The Shun was also a personal favorite of mine (as expressed in the Equipment & Gear: Kitchen Knives article).

I then included one more well-known brand - Cutco. Cutco is not sold in stores but is instead marketed in the U.S. through a referral based direct marketing method (similar to the old party system). The Cutco claim is that they are the best selling high-end kitchen knife manufactured in the United States.

The other knives I included are not as well-known, but are well respected: MAC, Tojiro, and Nenox. I attempted to contact several other knife manufacturers (including Kyocera for their ceramic chef's knife) but failed to receive a response (and I had reached my limit on knives I was willing to buy for this test).

Test procedureAll of the knives were tested out-of-the-box because I made the assumption that most readers will not be hand sharpening their knives. (In addition, once a knife has been sharpened, it would be difficult to compare the performance of the knives because of the added factor of the sharpener's skill and equipment.)

I started off with the desire to measure the physical dimensions of the knives: thickness of spine at bolster and at tip and angle of bevel at the cutting edge. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to measure the angle of bevel to any degree of accuracy (most of the knives taper to the edge and the actual bevel is over a very short distance of perhaps a millimeter). I did use calipers to measure the spine thickness at two points on each knife and determined that the thickness of the spine does not affect the cutting performance (it may play a role in other factors to be considered when selecting a knife, like weight). The knives were also weighed.

The rest of the testing was focused on subjective cutting performance. I spent a month thinking about how I would set up an apparatus to make objective measurements, but couldn't come up with a feasible test that did not seem contrived and too abstract to compare to how a knife would actually be used in the kitchen. As such, I settled on making the subjective testing as "accurate" as possible, performing the same cuts over and over again with the knives. First all the knives were subjected to the particular cutting test and roughly ranked against each other. Then knives close together in the ranking order repeated the cutting test (often alternating cuts) until I could determine if one was noticeable superior to the other or they were pretty much equal in performance. Prior to each cutting test, the knives were steeled to realign their edges.

Test 1: Carrot TestDescription: Unpeeled carrots were cut in two different ways. The first method started by positioning the carrot parallel to the counter and driving the heel of the knife into the carrot at a 30° (from horizontal) angle. The blade was driven in (like a wedge) for about 2 mm, enough for the knife to stay in place. The knife was then pulled from heel to tip along that groove. The motion was completed with no conscious downward pressure. The result was examined - a sharp knife would be able to slice cleanly through the carrot, a duller knife might slice through most of the way but end with the carrot snapping off, while a very dull knife would simply slide in the groove. The second test method involved cutting thin (1 mm or less) cross-sectional slices from the carrot. The slicing was accomplished by starting the tip (about an inch from the point) of the knife on the surface of the carrot and pushing the knife forward and down (usually traversing only a couple inches) to cut through. The effort required to cut through as well as the cleanliness of the cut were compared to rank the knives.

Test 2: Potato TestDescription: A potato was first cut in half along its major axis (long side). A potato half was then set down on the cutting board with its cut side down to keep the potato from rolling or moving during the test. Thin slices of potato were cut off by starting the tip on the surface of the potato and pushing the knife forward. This technique was used to perform the majority of the ranking based on effort needed to cut through, cleanliness of cut, and how straight the cut was. In cases where it was difficult to determine if one knife was superior to another with similar performance, a reverse stroke was used as well: the stroke started with the heel of the knife and the knife was pulled back without any additional downward effort.

Test 3: TomatoesDescription: This is a very popular demonstration (although I'm not sure why - I've only seen extremely dull knives perform badly with tomatoes). Because, in my experience, all knives cut tomatoes reasonably well, I focused on the feel of the knife during the cut. Specifically, I watched for any slipping while cutting and the level of ease with which the knife slid through the tomato. None of the tomatoes were crushed, were mangled, or lost excessive juice during the test. The tomato was first cut in half through its axis of symmetry (through the stem to the tip) and laid down to prevent rolling. The heel of the knife was placed on the skin and the knife was pulled back allowing the weight of the knife to help the blade slide through the tomato.

Test 4: ScallionsDescription: The greens of fresh scallions were thinly sliced into circles using both a mincing motion (keeping the point anchored on the cutting board and pushing the heel of the blade down) and a short slicing motion (placing the point on the board and the scallions under the middle of the knife and sliding the knife forward about an inch). Both actions were repeated for several seconds as scallions were fed under the knife with the left hand. Both the feel of the knife and the cleanliness of the chopped scallions (clean cuts or signs of crushing, bruising, or tearing) were taken into account in this test.

Knife Performance RankingsI've numerically ranked each knife starting with "1" as the best performing knife. Knives with the same ranking are so close in performance that I was not able to differentiate between the knives. Please note that these numbers are for ranking only and are not a relative performance level (for example the difference between a 1 & 2 ranking may be much smaller than the performance difference between a 5 & 6). Knives of the same ranking are listed in alphabetic order.

Unacceptable knives do not cut as expected. Either the cuts were not clean (requiring excessive force or multiple strokes) or the blade bruised or crushed the ingredient to an unacceptable degree. Serviceable knives performed their cutting action as expected. There is nothing exceptional about the knife - it simply performs as you'd expect an average knife to perform. More force is needed when using a serviceable knife than an excellent or outstanding one. Excellent knives slice with ease. The knives are properly balanced and sharp enough to feel as if the user is simply guiding the knife and the knife is performing the cutting. Outstanding knives simply perform beyond all expectations. The knife's cutting ability is noticeably better than that of an excellent knife.

These rankings do not take in account other factors such as cost, handle shape, and weight. They simply portray the cutting performance of the knife.

Carrot test

<th colspan=2>Rank</th><th>Knife</th><th>Notes</th>

O

1

Global G-2

Felt effortless as the knife slid through the carrots.

2

MAC 8.0" with dimples

Cleanly cut through carrots.

MAC 8.5"

Cleanly cut through carrots.

E

3

Tojiro DP

Cleanly cut through carrots.

Tojiro PHS

Cleanly cut through carrots.

4

Nenox S1

Cleanly cut through carrots.

5

Shun Classic

Cleanly cut through carrots.

6

Forschner

Cleanly cut through carrots.

S

7

Wusthof Classic

Most cuts were clean.

8

Henckels Pro-S

Some tearing occurred when cutting through the carrot.

U

9

Cutco

First carrot test did not cut through. Second carrot test yielded several pieces where the carrot was broken or torn off after cutting about 60% through.

Potato test

<th colspan=2>Rank</th><th>Knife</th><th>Notes</th>

O

1

Global G-2

2

MAC 8.0" with dimples

Forward stroke is same as MAC 8.5", but reverse stroke cut noticably deeper and easier.

3

MAC 8.5"

Tojiro DP

E

4

Nenox S1

Hard a smoother feel while cutting that other knives, but required more force than Tojiro DP.

Tojiro PHS

5

Shun Classic

6

Forschner

Slight sticky feeling as it sliced through the potato.

S

7

Wusthof Classic

8

Henckels Pro-S

U

9

Cutco

Hard to make straight slices (cut line curves outward at bottom of stroke - a trait of a dull knife).

Tomato test

<th colspan=2>Rank</th><th>Knife</th><th>Notes</th>

E

1

Global G-2

Glides through tomato

MAC 8.0" with dimples

Glides through tomato

2

MAC 8.5"

Glides through tomato

Nenox S1

Glides through tomato

Shun Classic

Glides through tomato

Tojiro DP

Glides through tomato

Tojiro PHS

Glides through tomato

3

Forschner

Glides through tomato

S

4

Wusthof Classic

5

Cutco

The cutting edge grips the tomato skin easily and as the knife is drawn through the tomato, it feels like a micro-serrated knife.

6

Henckels Pro-S

Blade slipped slightly before catching and cutting through the tomato.

Examining pure performance, the Global G-2 is the best of the bunch. However, the MAC places a very, very close second (with the 8-in. with dimples [MTH-80] coming out just a bit better than the 8.5-in. without dimples [MBK-85]). In fact, all three are exceptional performing knives.

Other factorsHowever, the purchase of a knife should not be based solely on its cutting performance. Other important factors to consider are up to the individual chef. Handle design may be the most important factor when buying a knife. If the handle doesn't feel comfortable, then chances are you won't be comfortable using the knife. A handle that feels comfortable in one grip may be uncomfortable when gripped another way. Unfortunately, this means I can't tell you which knife handle is best for you. I recommend going to a store where you can actually hold the knife. A store like Sur La Table, where you can practice a slicing motion on a cutting board, is your best bet for picking the right knife.

Another factor to consider is how the knife feels with your particular cutting motion. If the knife delivers a lot of shock to your hand as you chop or slice, you may want to seek out a slightly different design. For example, the two MAC knives have slightly different feels even though, visually, they seem to have identical curvatures. The general balance of the knife should feel nice to your particular style as well. Choosing a knife that is comfortable to you will help ensure that you won't wear yourself out when you have to do a lot of cutting.

I find that the Global G-2, although very light and an excellent performer, just doesn't fit my hand as comfortably as some of the other knives. The relatively thin handle and shallow taper to the blade makes holding the knife slightly awkward for me. I prefer a grip where my hand is choked up on the handle a bit allowing my thumb and forefinger to rest on opposite sides of the blade just in front of the bolster lip. The design of the Global knives just doesn't seem to let me grip that way and keep the knife from trying to twist out from under me. For that reason, my personal preference is the MAC MTH-80 MAC Mighty Chef 8" with dimples.

The styling and finished look of a knife is very important to many. For example, the Global G-2 has a very distinct look at many will find compliments the decor of their kitchens. The fit and finish of the Nenox S1 is one of the best I've ever seen. I find that the handle feels wonderful in my hand and also looks beautiful. In addition, the Nenox has some more detail work than the mass produced knives - for example, the spin of the knife has been carefully rounded and smoothed. (However, the bolster lip of the Nenox is a sharp right angle causing it to be a little more difficult to use.)

A final factor that I'm going to mention is the care of the knives. Although, many of the knives claim to be dishwasher safe, none of the knives should actually be washed in a dishwasher, except two - the Forschner Fibrox and the Cutco French Chef's will easily survive multiple cycles in a dish washing machine. You do need to make sure the blade will not bounce around or touch other objects in the dishwasher. The Cutco knife's handle may change color after several washes in the machine. My recommendation for all knives is to hand wash them and dry them immediately with a clean cloth.

Final notes of interestMost salespeople working at the cutlery counter of your local stores will tell you that a forged knife is a sign of a strong sturdy knife and any forged knife is superior to a stamped knife. This may have been true in the past, but this is definitely no longer a universal truth. The two MAC knives tested in this article are stamped knives with bolsters that are welded on, ground, and polished. MAC Knife claims that using the stamped steel gives them a level of control over the tempering, the bevels, and the thinness of the blade. I don't know if all that's true, but I do know that the two chef's knives we tested out performed all of the forged knives. Ah, but, you argue, the MAC knives tied or were slightly beaten by the Global G-2? The Global G-2 is also a stamped knife.

Also, as a sanity check, I had several people come over and try out the MAC 8-in. with dimples along with several of the other knives shown in this article. Every single tester agreed that the MAC was the best knife that they had ever used.

This article was actually started early August when I started to round up the knives for the testing. I was hoping to have testing done by the end of September, but because of delays in communication with Yoshikin (the manufacturer of Global knives) and Kyocera (who's ceramic knives public relation e-mail doesn't work), I didn't get the final knife until the middle of October (I just went and bought it).

The tests were performed over two days (two Saturdays) and meticulous notes were kept. After the first day of testing, I really didn't want to continue with the article because I didn't want to deal with continuously washing and drying eleven knives and performing all the comparisons over and over (mainly due to limited counter space). By the end of the first two tests, I already knew which knives were probably going to come out on top - but I needed to finish the testing and documenting to prove it. Tina helped considerably the second day of testing by taking notes for me as I dictated while slicing and chopping. (I also cleared off the dining room table so I would only have to wash all the knives between tests instead of everytime I ran out of space.)

The write up took a lot longer than I expected, and technically I don't think I'm really done. The article took about five days to write, and I still remember more stuff that I want to add - so don't be surprised if the article changes to become a bit more detailed or clearer as time goes on.

Anyway, I hope my readers will find this article informative and interesting.

I'd love to read another test when you've had a chance to sharpen them on the Nortons. I rarely have a knife come from the factory/maker with a satisfactory edge, especially Tojiros. If you were to use your stones and put the same 8000grit edge on each knife I think you would be able to do a test that exposed the differences in the quality of the steel. Just a thought...

that guy's right, factory sharpening is rarely up to snuff.
The tomato skin test, for example, is based entirely on the sharpness of the knife.
I'm a big Henckels/Wustoff fan, I have a few that I give regular love and maintenance and they could split a hair.

The only knife that is exempt from my criticism is Cutco which is supposed to never need sharpening. (overpriced garbage)

I'm really curious to see how well your knives hold up over time. For instance, the Forschner Victorinox knife (from what I can tell) is not full-tang, and I have had experience with such things coming apart at the handle. I'm also curious if you're going to have to resharpen some of your top-of-the-list knives more often. Can you do some kind of repetetive motion testing?

The cutting tests mostly depend on sharpness and edge geometry, which is why the Japanese[-style] knives tended to perform better than the Western knives. I think if they all had their edge profiles reshaped and edges sharpened so that the edges were exactly the same, they would perform identically.

Then comes the matter of the steel. Japanese knives have harder steel than Western knives do, which increases wear resistance at the expense of brittleness (proportional to the hardness). This means that Japanese knives tend to hold their edges longer than Western knives do, and because the blades are thinner, they cut more easily.

Personally, I would have loved to see a Chinese cleaver (Chan Chi Kee, Suien, Nenox, etc.) included in the mix.

I was disappointed (to the point of shaking my head in disbelief) that you tested the knives as supplied by the factory. Any knife in regular service is going to lose its factory edge very quickly and wind up with an edge corresponding to the sharpening technique -- so the relevance of testing the factory edge is marginal.

The review would have been much stronger if you had used a well regarded local sharpening service or a consitent, repeatable system (such as the Australian Furi hones) to bring all of the knives to the same edge.

Consistent sharpening does not lead to consistent performance. Blade hardness, composition, bevel geometry, weight, and thickness all play a part in how well a knife cuts.

I highly recommend you re-release this review (which is of marginal utility at this point) after re-conducting it with consistently sharpened blades.

I appreciate all the information on kitchen knives. I would like to ask if anyone has experience with the knives offered by A.G. Russell at www.agrussell.com?
They are offering Damascus kitchen knives w/VG-10 core, A.G. Russell kitchen knives w/wood Rucarta handles and KAI kitchen knives.
How do these compare with Henckels, Wusthof or the MAC MTH-80 you recommend?

I appreciate all the information on kitchen knives. I would like to ask if anyone has experience with the knives offered by A.G. Russell at www.agrussell.com?
They are offering Damascus kitchen knives w/VG-10 core, A.G. Russell kitchen knives w/wood Rucarta handles and KAI kitchen knives.
How do these compare with Henckels, Wusthof or the MAC MTH-80 you recommend?

I'm not a fan of full bolsters, but I've heard good things about A.G. Russell and VG-10 steel.

I have put my set of Forschner Victorinox knives through many years of hard daily use, and they hold up remarkably well. No problems with the handles. They take and keep an edge.

I think it bears noting that the reviewer bought these at a restaurant supply store. Knives used in industry are different from those used by amateur chefs. They are meant to be abused, run through the sterilizing dishwasher, and so on. These knives conspicuously display the NSF logo for the health inspector to see.

I have had fancier and more expensive knives, and I may try some of those reviewed here. But, I can absolutely say that the Forschner Victorinox are great knives at a bargain price.

I disagree with the commenter who thought this rating was somehow faulty because you evaluated the knives using the factory edge. First of all, if he's really that anal to demand your review included custom sharpening of each knife then perhaps he should just spend the time to do his own review.

Second, thanks for the tip on the Mac knife, a brand I have never used but have now added to my Amazon wishlist.

As I was a chef for 18 years, then a computer network design, I feel that I can speak on this topic.
1) The most important part of a knife is the hand that holds it
2) A knife is a very personal ,every one has there likes and dislikes
3) A factory edge should be sufficient for any home user, We only had our knifes sharpened 1 a week, honing is important
4) All knifes tested here are GOOD knifes, this falls into personal taste, grip, hand size, weight and a mired of other factors.

Interesting write up Michael. This should be an ongoing test. I would also review the Cooks Illustrated knife tests to see how they worked testing as well. I would also highly recommend that all the knives be sent off to a reputable sharpener who can put a quality edge on all the knives - at least then all the makers are on the same playing field as far as edge goes. After that, they can all be steeled before use which should last the duration of any further testing. I do think the testing is a bit biased because knives are very personal - the more people you can include the better. Different hand sizes, male/female. I think continued testing and updates are definitely warranted.

Great article, my eyes lit up when I heard you were going to review the Kyocera ceramic knife.
I have "heard" great things but wanted some objective opinions. Anyone care to comment or would Mike be willing to test some cereamics down the road?